How many 5-star reviews to cancel a 1-star google review
You need approximately 10-11 five-star reviews to cancel a 1-star review.
Here’s the maths:
To maintain a 4.5+ star average (which rounds up to 5 stars in Google’s display):
| Starting reviews | 1-star hits | 5-stars needed to stay ≥4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 10 (all 5★) | 1 | Already at 4.6 |
| 20 (all 5★) | 1 | Already at 4.8 |
The formula: If you have n five-star reviews and add 1 one-star review:
- New average = (5n + 1) / (n + 1)
- To get back to 4.5 average, you need roughly 9 five-star reviews per 1-star review
Practical takeaway for clients:
- A single 1-star review on a business with 10 existing 5-star reviews drops them from 5.0 → 4.6
- With 20 five-star reviews, that same 1-star only drops them to 4.8
- Volume is your buffer — the more legitimate positive reviews, the less any single negative review hurts
Want to see exactly how reviews affect your rating? Try the Google Review Calculator to model different scenarios for your business.
